Revisiting Russell Wilson and the QBs of the 2012 NFL Draft

September 17, 2013

John Froschauer/Associated Press

1of13

Revisiting Russell Wilson and the QBs of the 2012 NFL Draft
Russell Wilson was nearly a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. And so was Colin Kaepernick.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the San Francisco 49ers nearly shipped Kaepernick to Philly prior to the 2012 NFL Draft, believing that they were already set at the quarterback position with incumbent Alex Smith. But the Eagles pulled out of the deal at the last minute, focusing instead on drafting another signal-caller in the third round: Wilson.
The only problem for Philadelphia? Pete Carroll, John Schneider and the Seahawks swooped in to take Wilson ahead of them. So instead of Sunday night’s matchup being a clash of Smith versus Matt Flynn, Seahawks and Niners fans were treated to a battle of two of the league’s best young quarterbacks.
The NFL Draft lends itself to a lot of healthy debate, both as it happens and afterward. A year and a half after the 2012 edition, we look back to see how each of the quarterbacks selected is faring. And while Kaepernick wasn’t part of it – he was drafted a year earlier in 2011 – the class is regarded as potentially one of the best in NFL history.

John Froschauer/Associated Press

1of13

Revisiting Russell Wilson and the QBs of the 2012 NFL Draft
Russell Wilson was nearly a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. And so was Colin Kaepernick.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the San Francisco 49ers nearly shipped Kaepernick to Philly prior to the 2012 NFL Draft, believing that they were already set at the quarterback position with incumbent Alex Smith. But the Eagles pulled out of the deal at the last minute, focusing instead on drafting another signal-caller in the third round: Wilson.
The only problem for Philadelphia? Pete Carroll, John Schneider and the Seahawks swooped in to take Wilson ahead of them. So instead of Sunday night’s matchup being a clash of Smith versus Matt Flynn, Seahawks and Niners fans were treated to a battle of two of the league’s best young quarterbacks.
The NFL Draft lends itself to a lot of healthy debate, both as it happens and afterward. A year and a half after the 2012 edition, we look back to see how each of the quarterbacks selected is faring. And while Kaepernick wasn’t part of it – he was drafted a year earlier in 2011 – the class is regarded as potentially one of the best in NFL history.